Yes, I’m a soil nerd….. but this is fun! These are our school garden pumpkins from last year… turning to soil in closed containers! Pretty cool!
Pumpkin Jack is a fun read aloud to go with these visuals.
Last November, we cut open our pumpkins and put them in containers. Keep reading to learn about how we completed a fun life cycle STEM activity with pumpkins.
Step One: The Set Up
Take a large plastic container or use plastic container that has a top and bottom. You need to be able to put the pumpkin into the container. We used an animal crackers container and cut up our pumpkin into sections. Add several inches of planting soil to the bottom of the container and spritz with water until damp. Do not saturate the soil. Place the pumpkin in the container and replace the top of the container. If your container is not sealed shut, use packaging tape to fasten it in place.
Step Two: Now we wait!
Your pumpkin will need warmth and water in order to decompose. The warmer the air and soil get in the container, the faster your pumpkin will rot. We put the containers outside in our school garden. Don’t open it… Opening it will allow the warm air and moisture to escape from it… which will make it take longer for the pumpkin to decompose.
Step Three: It turns gross!
Throughout the autumn and winter, you will see the pumpkin go through the phases of decomposition. Fungus and will grow on it and spread to the soil. As the fungus decomposes the pumpkin, the pumpkin will change colors, shrink, and eventually decompose into the soil. All of this grossness is normal!
Step Four: Do I see Seedlings
Once the pumpkin has disintegrated into the soil, it’s time to open this container up to let in air. Please do this outdoors as this will smell really bad! Cover the remains of the pumpkin and the seeds with planting soil. Spray the soil with water until it’s damp, replace the top, and wait. In a week or so, you should see little seedling start growing!
Step Five: The Plant is growing
After you see seedlings begin to emerge, you can remove and the top of the container. Keep the container in a sunny window so the seedlings can grow. Water the seedlings as needed and watch your seedling become mature plants!
Step Six: Transplanting the Pumpkin Plants
Eventually, the pumpkin plants it will be time to transplant your pumpkin plants. Depending on the type of pumpkin you used for this activity, its vines can grow up to 20 feet long! Carefully remove the plants from the container and transplant them into the ground… far away from the playground… or to a raised garden bed. Continue to water and care for the plants as needed.
